


Aubade

by Samnit



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: AU, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Reader-Insert, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-06-17
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:41:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24777820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Samnit/pseuds/Samnit
Summary: When Calamity Ganon was destroyed, Hyrule was supposed to settle into a period of peace and resurrection. But a new power looms on the horizon and the world's former beacon of evil, Ganondorf, finds himself alive in world very different from what he remembers. Still scarred by Malice, he's been sequestered away in a small village in the mountains to heal and reevaluate destiny in a realm of mediocrity.Slice of life reader-insert, baby.
Relationships: Ganondorf (Legend of Zelda)/Reader
Comments: 10
Kudos: 90





	Aubade

**Author's Note:**

> I've been bitten by the Ganondorf bug. Buff tall mean guy always scowling? Dude, my aesthetic. 
> 
> Thing is, I didn't want to get involved with writing some epic BotW AU fantasy... I wanted something a little quieter. Life in the village for a guy whose been revived after a couple thousand years. So, here's a little slice of life fic I'll update as I replay Breath of Wild. Think of vignetters with a low-key story, with romance and eventual smut because I'm me. Quality? Ma'am, we don't know that word here.
> 
> Just as a heads up -- I'm no expert on the Zelda series, so if anything goes against lore, please forgive me.

It was midmorning after a particularly bad bout of wet weather that Nanna raised her head, looked in the direction of the eastern road, and declared to no one, “The hero is on his way.”

The Hero of Legend had become a frequent enough visitor to their little hamlet amongst the peaks and trees that the whispers of knowledge floating in on the wind bore no ill-feeling or warning -- it was simply a knock at the door before the arrival. The elderly woman accepted the message, gingerly patted the wisps of stray hair from her bun back into place, and went along her way.

Link’s appearance came two days later, marked by the distant barking of an overzealous dog. Perhaps the spirits had echoed similar secrets to the children of the village, albeit opaquely. They had been acting particularly restless but had felt compelled to stay within the general vicinity of Kakariko instead of stampeding off in search of adventure. One of them had been pacing near the town’s entrance, striking wizened trees with a fat stick, when she had spotted the Hero’s steady approach. Quickly she scrambled down the declining walkways of the town, crying out the news in search of her sister and their friends. By the time the Hero’s silver bay horse had been unbridled and untacked in the village’s only paddock, Link had been swarmed by the younglings who demanded stories, sweets, and glimpses of whatever weaponry he had on his person or packed away.

Although usually charmed by insistence and childish rudeness, something was different about the Hero during that particular visit. Although he tried to hide it, a storm brewed on his countenance. Something was troubling him. He was distracted.

He was also not alone.

So wrapped up in the fantastical grandeur of Link’s legend and presence, his self-elected welcoming committee had failed to notice the two other figures that had journeyed in with him, callously brushing them off as travelers or merchants who had simply broached the settlement at the same time.

Once the two unknowns joined Link’s little grouping, however, the babbling was quick to extinguish. Curious gazes turned wary. Even the youngest members of the populace could pick up on the strange, soured energy surrounding the newcomers. 

They did not pull Link into the heart of the village or chase after him, as they were normally prone to do. They did not excitedly show off fighting moves and styles that had mastered or developed in his absence. Instead, they hung back, trailing from a distance as Link, a massive man and a young woman made their way down the road to the waiting home of Impa.

* * *

It was a standing date between you and Paya, to walk the roads of Kakariko during nice weather and just... talk. 

Your friendship had been inevitable -- you were of similar ages, born during a village dry spell of new births. As the only children in your respective families, you had been grouped together as playmates and classmates. The sisterhood that was born from that was unavoidable. 

Forced, even. 

Occasionally, during clear summer nights, the two of you would unroll bedrolls in the dry grass of healing fields and talk about your home, your bond and pose hypotheticals. Beneath a billion blinking eyes of the heavens, in the dim glow of a dying fire, you would ponder the what-ifs. What if your peer group had been larger, or if either of you had been born outside of the village, would you have still elected to be friends? 

The closer to dawn the night drew, the more introspective the questions would become. If Paya was to eventually take on Impa’s mantle, would you still be able to be close? Did she even _want_ that future? What about your future? If given the opportunity, would either of you leave Kakariko? If you had to choose one person in the village to share your first kiss with, who would it be and why would it be Cado?

And then the two of you would collapse into giggles while attempting to spin romantic tales involving an unfortunate soul, Cado, and all of his Cuccos.

It struck you as odd when Paya didn’t appear at your usual meeting spot by the Goddess stream. Maybe Impa had pulled her into an impromptu lesson? An hour passed before your patience gave out and you decided that you had waited long enough, that Paya obviously wasn’t going to be joining you. You headed home. There was a part of you that was annoyed by the obvious brush-off but you were doing your best to silence that voice. 

A new chapter had started in Paya’s life a year prior. The girl was facing down a future of tremendous responsibility that was growing closer each day. She had a lot on her plate and you could afford to bear the brunt of one slight.

_Still…_

You had to pass Impa’s house on the walk back to your cottage and thought that, perhaps, Paya would be waiting outside for you with an apology at the ready. From where it had been built, the chief’s manor gazed up at the homes nestled in centuries-old pockets carved along the soft slope of the mountain hideaway -- a mother holding up children instead of a ruler staring down subjects. 

In your meandering approach, you saw there was no one in the road waiting for you, to your selfish chagrin. The feeling eventually evaporated, however, when you drew closer, acutely aware that _no one_ was in the road. Guards were _always_ stationed outside the gate of Impa’s place--

Except they weren’t.

Your gait tripped slightly as you eyed the world around you. Had something happened that would have pulled them away? The little crick that had been informally dubbed the Goddess stream was well within the confines of the village -- you would have easily heard a commotion. 

_Did it mean Impa had…?_

Nothing of the home seemed out of the ordinary, save for its missing protectors. Pausing in the empty mouth of the open gateway, you gazed up at the door. Nothing was out of the ordinary… but...

There was a prickle at the back of your neck, something old in your blood ordering you to be on guard. The architecture of the building had taken on an uncharacteristically ominous tone before your eyes, seemingly growing larger and more foreboding as you continued to stare. 

You couldn’t take your eyes off of it. 

Bright daylight was ebbing. 

The calls of birds and the rustlings of trees in the wind were growing muted. 

The structure wasn’t just growing -- it was _looming._

There was a flint spark of panic in your chest.

Had something happened? Had something happened to _Impa_? You weren’t sure what was causing the strange vignette around the world, whether your vision was tunneling or your unblinking gaping was playing tricks on your mind. A similar vignette was seemingly growing from the soul of the home, a deep haze oozing from unseen cracks. And, for one frightful moment, a memory flashed in your mind. Standing on a cliff’s edge as children, staring at the cursed castle in the distance whose inky presence was a dagger straight through the heart of Hyrule--

_“Ho there! What business do you have with Lady Impa?”_

All it took was a blink. 

The surprised inhale of breath at the startling call. 

The sun was warm on your back. 

The birds were singing. 

And Impa’s home was watching you fondly with all the warmth you remember. 

It had been Cado whose voice had pulled you from your stupor, standing at the front doorway of the house. Even though you had been staring directly at the building, you had not noticed the door open, nor had you seen the emergence of the guard or his compatriot, Dorian.

Both men were walking down the steps toward you, chins held up with official distrust even though both had known you forever. 

You looked like a bass that had beached itself, blank eyes darting between them and the building, mouth hanging open. Dorian had looked over his shoulder to determine what you had been staring at, half-expecting to see one of the legendary dragons perched on the roof with how you were gaping at it.

But nothing was there, just an errant pigeon resting.

He frowned, brows furrowing as he took his place at his assigned spot, gently guiding you to take a few respectful steps back so both feet were firmly on the road.

You didn’t speak.

Cado cleared his throat.

“Paya is… busy, at the moment,” he offered, a break of soft familiarity to his cadence. You looked at him strangely and, even in your fog, you noticed he looked oddly ashen. “She and Lady Impa have guests and… she’s _very_ busy.”

It had been a long enough moment. The building hadn’t taken up its sinister tone again but something was happening. If Impa was involved… then, it was being handled. 

She was a good chief with important friends, after all.

Your mouth drew closed and you folded your arms, brows knitted in equal parts confusion and unease. You forced yourself to break your eyes away, looking at the white-bearded face of your neighbor. 

“I’m sorry,” you said, shaking your head to ease the muffle in your ears. “What did you--?”

“Lady Impa has important guests,” Cado offered again. “Paya is with her.”

“Ah.” You gave a curt nod. “I understand. Thank you.”

“Were…” Dorian cleared his throat when you had started off to leave, stopping you. “Were you… Did you happen to see _who’s_ just arrived?”

_Who arrived?_

You thought back. You hadn’t seen anyone--

“I heard the kids yelling about the Hero…” you said, recalling the earlier stumbling pack of children that had run up the hill just as you were heading down it. “Is it him? I didn’t know he had come in, though. I just thought perhaps they were playing.”

Dorian waited for you to say more but when you didn’t, he shifted and hummed to himself, looking uncomfortable. It wasn’t until Cado shot him an annoyed look that you understood what the man was offhandedly, and silently, implying.

“You best go home,” Cado said, jerking his chin in the general direction of your cottage. “I’m sure the news will spread soon enough.”

_News…?_

But the men were done tiptoeing around gossip and, with one last uncomfortable look to the estate they were protecting… 

You went home.

They weren’t wrong about news spreading. You had buttered up a few thickly-sliced pieces of bread and were opening windows to let in the cool late-day mountain air when Mellie tore through your small yard, huffing and puffing like she had just lapped the village. 

“There is a demon in our midst!” She sputtered as you leaned out a front window, worried your neighbor was going to keel over on your property. 

“Demon!?” You stammered back. Was it Bokoblins? Or had someone gone through and robbed her of a few precious plums again? Swiping one unscathed had become a rite of passage of sorts in the village, giving Mellie's militant protection of them. Perhaps a thief had gone overboard in their heist?

“That... _hooligan_ brought an agent of chaos into our peaceful little home and is talking to Impa right now, no doubt heralding the destruction of us all--”

“Mellie,” you cooed, holding up your bread and pumping the air in a steadying motion “Stop speaking in riddles, tell me what’s happening.”

“The Hero is in town,” came the irritated tale. “With him is the princess herself, Princess Zelda.”

_Zelda!_

“And I didn’t believe it until I heard it from _three_ others that there’s a third traveler among them… a Gerudo _man_.” 

There was a disconnect. She looked as if she had revealed something groundbreaking to you while you looked on, waiting for more.

You…

Tilted your head.

“I don’t follow…” you said slowly.

“Open your ears to what I said, child." Mellie snapped. "A Gerudo _man_ is here. With red hair and evil yellow eyes. _D_ _on’t you know what that means_?”

She was asking you a question but you were still tripped up on the bit about the Gerudo man. It took you a bit to shake the images of a man dressed in Gerudo garb or a Gerudo using male pronouns. But the way she was stressing _\--_

Your eyes widened slightly as the implications began to settle. Either a new king had been born to the Gerudo people, a Hylian was pretending or villagers were lying. There _couldn’t_ be a Gerudo man in your village. It was impossible. The last male born to the Gerudo had been--

Mellie snorted through her nose, gathering enough from your dumbfounded expression.

“We have a Hero awoken after a hundred years. A princess freed after a hundred years. And now, they bring with them a… a _monster_.” She groaned. “Goddess preserve us all.”

_… No._

It was impossible. Ludicrous. Laughable. 

The Hero and the Princess had killed the Calamity almost a year prior. The village had thrown a beautiful celebration in their honor, one of many that had erupted across the land. It just… it just didn’t make sense. The Calamity and all its evil incarnations could be traced back to one individual, the last king of the Gerudo people.

“Impa is out of her mind allowing them to enter the village with that beast!” Mellie hissed. “Chief or not, Hero or not, _Princess_ or not. Blood of the goddess in her veins and she allows that rot to live? The beast should be flung off a cliff and crushed by rocks. Buried in the darkest hole. That so-called hero should have driven the legendary sword right into that black heart--”

“Come now, Mellie,” you tried to soothe, uncomfortable with the blasphemy she was spouting in her rage. “Surely that can’t be true. Perhaps the Gerudo have a new king and we just didn’t know? We are tucked away from the rest of the world here.”

“We are Sheikah,” Mellie said, drawing herself up in pride. “We know the King of Evil when we see him, no matter the incarnation or age. It’s in our blood.”

You thought back to the earlier episode at Impa’s house, the ominous energy that had been emanating from it. What the guards had asked -- did you know who was in town… 

It hadn’t been just the hero they had been talking about. 

_That_ was why Dorian had been compelled to speak out in his unhelpful way.

“Ganon?” You said, his name like a curse on your tongue. 

“Doesn’t matter the name,” Mellie responded, waving a hand in the air to waft your utterance away. “But yes, that’s the viper that has found its way into our nest. And we need to come together, as a village, as children of the goddess, and as protectors of all she loves, to drive him out.”

It just… didn’t make sense. Ganon was an entity of evil. A catalyst of countless years of death and destruction that spanned many iterations of the world. Eons ago, he had been a living, breathing man but… he couldn’t be one anymore. Link and Zelda may have been a hundred years old but a Gerudo Ganon would have been… You couldn’t even calculate an age. He came _before_ the Calamity.

Even then… bringing him to a _Sheikah_ village? You could understand the outrage bubbling within Mellie. As people of the Goddess… the callous regard to their oaths, to the sanctity of their home… 

“I’ll demand an audience with Lady Impa tonight,” Mellie declared, satisfied you had finally understood the gravity of the situation. “I expect you to be there, as will the rest of the village. If the demon’s influence has spread and consumed the Hero, the Princess, and Lady Impa… we must be willing to act.”

“Act?” You gave a humorless smile, dread in your stomach. “Against the Legendary Hero, the goddess-touched Princess Zelda herself, _and_ Ganon?”

Mellie’s face was stony and grim.

“If the cycle has been broken and our world is collapsing… we have to make a stand. Even if our destruction is inevitable.”

You ended up tossing your bread into your yard after Mellie left. Roaming Cuccos could have it.

You weren’t hungry anymore.

* * *

The denizens arrived in unceremonious waves, congregating by the chief’s gate in near-silence. The air hung thick -- it wasn’t the anger of the Sheikah people the outsiders (and Impa, if she was complacent) were going to be met with. 

It was anguish.

Dorian was the only guardsmen at his post by the time you arrived, late. You… had been uneager to get involved in the situation but your appearance was almost required. An absence would have been noted. A transgression, even. Nearly every adult was present, the children had been forbidden to attend, but the turn-out didn’t fill you with any sort of joy. It just reminded you how small your village’s numbers had become. Kakariko had always been for the Sheikah and that need for purity was strangling the population. 

You heard through whispers that Mellie, speaking on behalf of the village, demanded an audience with Impa. A collective show of community force was nearly unheard of -- both Cado and Dorian had been addled by the crowd and the request. But at Mellie’s continued insistence, the former had gone to announce to Lady Impa what was happening at her gate.

Which meant you were left to wait.

Truthfully, you didn’t know what was going to happen. Mellie had made it seem like the village was going to war when, in fact, the people just wanted answers. By nature, the Sheikah were wary of travelers but never did the village come together to demand an identity or explanation. But this was different. This was their boogeyman. And there was a lot of hurt held in the hearts of the people that their wise Lady Impa had not driven back the outsider--

Which made many believe it was a mistake.

It was a strange situation to be in the middle of. You weren’t sure if you believed the gossip that it had been a Gerudo with Link and Zelda. But Gerudo were unmistakable. Each of the inhabitants of Hyrule were unique in obvious ways.

Not only that, tales and legends of yore were also at the core of the Sheikah tradition. Even children could recite the story of the Calamity and what role their ancestors held. Why the Sheikah chose isolation. Why once-brothers and sisters had broken off to create the Yiga Clan. Ganon had many incarnations but who he was, at his core, had always been the same -- he had once been a powerful king but evil took root in his heart and thus begun a cycle of death, destruction, defeat, and rebirth.

Just as the villagers could instantly recognize the visage of Link despite a 100-year slumber, they could do the same with Ganon.

At Cado’s reappearance, those gathered grew tense. Steadily the guard descended the stairs, one at a time, before standing in the gateway, surveying the crowd.

He looked troubled.

“Lady Impa recognizes and understands why you have gathered but… regrets to say she does not have the room the grant an audience so large.” He paused. “But an audience will be granted, please select representatives to come before her.”

Formalities. The pomp and circumstance made your anxiety spike. 

Two village elders and two business owners were elected to represent the interests of the people of Kakariko. The selection suited you just fine -- you just wanted everything to be over. Did a decision need to be made? You weren’t sure. In fact, you didn’t even know if a question was being poised. Maybe you were in the minority but you didn’t blame Impa for who had appeared on her doorstep. She was chief. She was an old companion of Link’s. She was a perceived protector of Hyrule. What else could she have done?

There had been no talk of Link, Zelda or the unknown guest having already left the village, so you assumed they were still inside as well. A legendary quorum. Time ticked by. The night grew later. But there was no explosion, the ground did not open up to swallow the building. Lantern Falls still bubbled and buzzed. 

The numbers of those gathered began to dwindle once the light of the stars grew brighter. It was getting late. Children had been left alone for too long and livestock needed to be attended to. Turn down still needed to happen.

You were part of the second wave to pull away. The wait was excruciating and, although nothing happened, you found yourself gazing at Impa’s home with distrust. The earlier experience you had with it was fresh in your mind and you didn’t want to be near it in the dark. 

Night in the mountains was always relatively quiet but the silence that night was unusually deafening. A quick peek out your cottage windows revealed to you that there was light shining in all the houses near yours. Everyone was awake. Waiting. Perhaps even on edge. With what little water you had remaining from your earlier trip to the community well, you decided to make some tea. A normal nightly habit could perhaps bestow some peace in your bones.

The knock that eventually came at your door was unexpected but not unsurprised. The outcome of the audience was not news that could wait until morning -- too many people were aware and concerned. But it had not been the face of Mellie or any of the other representatives at your door--

It was Paya.

Your friend looked frail, as if she had been kept awake for days. You stared at one another until she spoke up, her normally melodic voice soft.

“May I come in?”

As if she needed to ask -- you stepped aside, quickly ushering into your home. 

“Paya, what in Hylia’s name is going on?” You asked, gesturing her to take a seat. A good host might have offered her a drink or something to eat, but your hosting skills had never been particularly good and the Moblin in the room was too large to ignore. 

“I don’t even know where to start,” she said tiredly. The dullness was uncharacteristic of her -- she was bubbly to those she knew, shy to those she didn’t, and a bundle of nerves when it came to anything related to duty. 

“Is it _Ganon_?” You asked in a whisper, dropping into the chair next to her and leaning forward. 

Her eyes flickered to the floor.

“Yes.”

Your heart plummeted.

“Paya… _How?”_

“It’s a very complicated tale,” she muttered. “It’s Ganon but… not Ganon.”

“ _Please_ don’t start talking in riddles--” 

“It’s Ganon but…” she sighed. “The Ganon from all our stories… he had been tainted by Malice that had been left behind by Demise, before he had been sealed away by the Goddess. That presence… the mix of Ganon and Malice… that’s what became the Calamity.”

Demise… 

Demise was _ancient_ evil. Post-creation evil. The rot that had bubbled up after creation that Hylia had sacrificed her life to seal away forever. The true master and embodiment of evil. 

It had been always been believed that Ganon had tapped into evil left behind by Demise in his thirst for power. That's what corrupted him so wholly.

But… if what Paya said was true…

Perhaps it had been _Demise_ who had tapped into _Ganon_.

“So… a vessel--?”

“Not a vessel,” she said, shaking her head. “What was born from the union was its own… thing. The Calamity took on life while Ganon was forgotten. The Princess and Link found his remains deep below ground and he was revived.” Before you could interject, she shrugged. “They don’t know how or why, which is why they came here, to speak with my grandmother. But this is magic my grandmother doesn’t know of. These are curses that are _beyond_ ancient…”

She furrowed her brow.

“But what had been attached to Ganon… _er_ ,” she paused. “ _Ganondorf,_ hadn’t been killed with the Calamity. The Calamity was broken. Ganondorf was freed and… the influence of Demise… it escaped.”

It was strange. In the grand scheme of the universe, Demise was on another level than Calamity Ganon. Demise's tale was tied up with divinity. The idea that something so… wholly destructive was running amok should have filled you with existential dread. Paya certainly seemed fearful. 

But it was because of the explosion of scale that you felt disconnected. Perhaps your Sheikah blood was too diluted? Or your nearly parentless upbringing had robbed you of that instilled sense of place in the world, what your role as Sheikah was in the story of good and evil? You _knew_ \-- stories were at the heart of your village. But you didn’t _feel._

“So… what happens now?” You asked. “What does it mean for us that… what was it, ‘Demise’s influence’ is out?”

“Darkness,” your guest said softly. “Link and the Princess may have broken the cycle of Calamity Ganon… but we don’t know what other evil is now in the world. Remember, it had been the Goddess herself that had sealed Demise away… if something of him still exists… could we possess the power to even stop it?”

“Is that why they’re here? Zelda, Link, and this… version of Ganon?”

“Yes. To seek Impa’s knowledge and guidance on what they could to seal away what remains of Demise. But the time between its release and their arrival is short. Demise is timeless. We don’t know what this means -- neither do they. We’re… we’re at a loss of what to do next. Though Ganondorf… he claims that the power is ravenous and that it won’t stay dormant for long. It wants to rejoin its master. It wants to open Hylia’s seal and free Demise.”

“Wait,” you interjected. “The seal… are you saying the seal is a _physical_ thing? I had always thought…”

“There are parts of Hylia that are very old. _Very_ old," she stressed. You believed she was referencing _byeond_ the 10,000-year appearance of Calamity Ganon. "And there’s much that’s been forgotten. The Princess and the Hero are undertaking a new journey now, to determine what needs to be done.” 

The room was filled with the gentle melodies of the wooden chimes hanging on the exterior of your home. You sat back in your chair while Paya smoothed the wrinkles out of her tunic.

“Alright.” You said, because what else could you say? “So… we just have to wait.”

Instead of nodding along sagely at the truth, Paya shifted.

“But that’s not the only reason they’ve come… they also wish to leave Ganondorf in our care.”

The snorting laugh that escaped you was unbecoming -- you quickly raised a hand in an attempt to hide it. Paya looked… spent.

“Impa… Impa said no, right?" You said uncertainty. "I mean… this is _Calamity_ _Ganon_ , Paya. He needs to be locked away or sent back to his people--”

“Ganondorf needs to be watched. Malice still poisons his blood and he's suspectable to corruption again. It wouldn’t be safe for him to travel with the Hero or the Princess.”

You held in the second snort that threatened to erupt. _Safe for him!? His safety was a concern?_

“The Gerudo refuse to acknowledge him and would not grant him access to their cities -- they had already been to the region. Among the Hylians, an identity could maybe be assumed, yes, but… their world is very large and open. It wouldn’t take long for the Yiga Clan to learn of Ganondorf’s description, even if they've been weakened by Li-- the Hero. They had learned of his revival within days of his awakening. The duty of protecting and shielding Ganondorf as been tasked to us on behalf of her highness and on behalf of the Goddess Hylia. So… we must.”

“Must?” You scoffed. “Come now--”

“It’s already been decided. Ganondorf will stay here, under our protection and under our watch. Duty comes before feelings.”

“Duty? Paya… the Sheikah aren’t what they once were. The Kingdom of Hyrule doesn’t even exist anymore!”

“... We have to. If it’s what the princess asks of us… then it must be done.”

Silence enveloped your cottage.

“And _everyone_ has agreed to this?”

“Yes. Wholeheartedly, even, once Princess Zelda made the plea herself.”

“Not much of a choice…” You murmured and Paya smiled sadly.

“But it is an honor,” she offered.

You weren’t sure if you believed that.

“So… we have an evil old king taking up residence in our village. Think Impa will start letting Hylians move here as well?”

“Maybe if the Princess commanded it…”

Smiles erupted between the two of you, easing the heaviness of the conversation. Truly... what could be done? To deny the Princess was unthinkable. And small your numbers may be, your home was still filled with capable fighters. Kakariko was a guarded place, much more so than other settlements in Hyrule. No monster would be able to broach the perimeter. The Yiga themselves would think twice of attacking Kakariko, even if they knew their precious Ganon awaited inside. 

“But tell me…” you started, leaning forward, conspiratorial, ready to move on to lighter topics. “Is Link still as handsome as you remember?”

Paya jolted upright, face turning a burning shade of crimson.

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry, the loser in me is like, 'no I HAVE to give reasons why he's in the village I can't just... start' which turned into this. 
> 
> There's no set update schedule for this. We're just floating down a lazy river here, enjoying what comes our way.


End file.
